My world, Your world
by Essence of Bloodlust
Summary: What if there was no such thing as fiction? What if for every world imagined an alternate world was created? What would happen if a dark hunter fan suddenly found herself in the world of the books she adores? WARNING: This story is up to date so if you haven't read all the current books then this might spoil some things for you
1. Chapter 1

What if there was no such thing as fiction? What if for every world imagined and dreamed of, an alternate world was created? Every story written, every day dream created, existed in their own reality, continuing on long after being abandoned by their creator. And what if, these worlds could be accessed? These were the kind of questions that I would never think to cross my mind until the day when my life was changed forever.

* * *

><p><em>I couldn't feel the ground.<em> There was nothing under my feet but air as I floated away from the world below me farther and farther until I found myself among the clouds. I wasn't scared or confused, I knew just where I was going. Farther and farther i soared until finally i came upon my destination. The clouds gave way to buildings made of ivory and marble, nestled in the shadow of a mighty mountain atop which say the hall of the Greek gods. But i had no interest in them, I was on a search for someone else. I glided among the the immaculate architecture until I reached a grand structure jutting out of its forest enclosure. The dwelling of the Goddess Artemis. I could see her sitting on a balcony overlooking the beautiful forest below and she was not alone. She was in the company of a man, extremely tall and deadly gorgeous. And it was in this man that my interest lay. I moved closer towards the balcony and the couple. The man had his large muscular back to me, his long black hair falling almost to his waist but not completely covering the scars that marred his skin. The red head, dressed in her white chiton looked up at my approach and I enjoyed the fear that came to light in her eyes. I landed on the balcony on far away from the couple, standing not far away from the man and glaring at the red headed bitch beside him.

"Come on Acheron, its time you were free of this selfish cow."

He looked at me for the first time and i knew that i was his savior. My purpose to take him away from all the pain i knew he suffered.

"How dare you! Do you know who I am?" The red head shrieked. "I am the Goddess Artemis, daughter of Zeus, Sister of Apollo!"

I turned on her then with hatred in my eyes. "And you are about to get your ass kicked." I stalked towards her until i was within striking distance. She let forth an ear piercing shriek an instant before my fist collided with her face.

I came awake to the shriek still ringing in my ears. I thought at first i was still in the dream but i soon realized that it was the sound of the fire alarm going off. I jumped out of my bed and dodged the obstical course in my room until i could pull my door open and see what was going on. The hallway was full of smoke and I could hear my mother cursing in the kitchen. I waved frantically at the fire alarm on my way to see what had caused it to go off. In the kitchen, my mother was attempting to put out the small fire that had started under the skillet she was using to make bacon. Seeing that she had the situation under control, i ran to the living room to open the sliding glass door and allow some of the smoke to escape outside. IT was still another several minutes before the alarm stopped blaring and the house was mostly cleared of the smoke. I could hear my mother muttering to herself and cursing at the poor stove.

"Is everything OK?" I asked from the kitchen doorway.

"Yeah, guess its microwave bacon for breakfast this morning." She said, wiping the sweat from her drenched forehead.

I didn't bother commenting on the fact that bacon from the microwave was disgusting or the fact that I was defiantly not in the mood for breakfast with the pounding headache that was drilling into my temple. I went back to my bedroom to flop down on my bed. I heaved a sigh and rolled over on top of something hard.  
>Pulling it out from under me, I found it to be my favorite book in the world. Acheron. I had been reading it before i had fallen asleep last night which explained the source of my dream. If only such a world really existed... I thought to myself for the thousandth time. I could always lose myself in my books metaphorically but i would much rather become apart of them for real, living along side the characters i have come to love and hate as if they were real. I laughed aloud at such a stupid thought. I spent too much time wishing for the impossible, i needed to come to grips with the reality that I was apart of. The reality where I was stuck in a run-down-middle-of-no-where town in central Illinois. The reality where I was stuck inside for the 3 day weekend to finish homework that should have been done weeks ago. I was seriously tempted to just say screw it and go back to sleep and lose myself in my dream world and ignore the world with which i was really apart of. But in the end i knew that that would not accomplish anything for me but more time lost on homework.<p>

Heaving a sigh of defeat, I got up from my bed, taking Acheron with me so that i could place it back in its proper place among the other books in my Sherilyn Kenyon collection.

_If only... _

Sitting down at my desk i began to pull out my English work from my nearby back pack and set to work. It wasn't until about 3 hours later that I decided to take a break.

With my head held in my hands I could not stop my mind from wandering away from academics and to darker subjects. I tried to keep the thoughts out of my head but i learned long ago that the sadness would creep in anyway it could. Depression, they called it. Like it was a disease easily treatable with medication diligently taken. But it was more than that. The pills didn't help and the counseling did nothing. The sadness found me just the same every day.  
>And as i sat there once again suffocated by the weight of my reality i silently pleaded for an escape. If only the world in my books were real, if only i could escape there, start over new. I would do anything.<p>

"Anything?"

I wheeled around at the sound of the deep male baritone that i did not recognize. Standing beside my bookshelf behind me was a man, incredibly tall and gorgeous.  
>I had to blink several times to make sure that i was not hallucinating. I had finally gone off the deep end. I thought. That was the only reason there would be a mysteriously handsome man chilling in my room.<p>

"Who are you?" I asked, feeling like somebody in a cheesy b rated thriller with predictable dialogue.

He moved closer to me, the light of the midday sun casting an eerie shadow over his perfect features, until he stood just behind me. All at once i was overwhelmed with his presence, his voice, his incredible dark features framed with raven hair darker than any i had ever seen before. All at once, my breath was stolen from me. His full lips parted to reveal perfect teeth and a crooked grin.

"I am the one who is going to make all your dreams come true."


	2. Authors Note:)

I apologize for how long it has taken to update, I have had a lot going on coupled with writers block. I am rewriting the 2nd chapter at this very moment and already have later chapters made so it will definitely be posted soon. I appreciate your interest in this story and your reviews. Please enjoy

-Essence of Bloodlust


	3. Chapter 2: Sail

**Authors Note: This is the edited version of the 2****nd**** chapter. I had been in such a hurry to post it that I had stupidly refrained from proof reading it first. I apologize to anyone who had read it for all the grammatical and spelling errors. This updated version should be a lot better. The song I used in this is Sail by Awolnation and I do not own any rights to it or Sherri's Dark- Hunter world**

"_I am the one who is going to make all your dreams come true."_

This man appears in my room, with no warning and expects me to believe that he is some benevolent super being who has come to do nothing more than grant my wishes? I may be crazy but I wasn't stupid.

I let out a nervous laugh. "What do you know about my dreams?"

He returned my skepticism with a dark laugh of his own.

"I know many things, little girl. Things you should pray you never have to know."

With that, he lifted his left hand in front of me and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were a vivid and glowing violet that was steadily becoming brighter and brighter. Or was the room getting darker?

I had no time to register what was happening beyond the wild pounding of my heart before my entire room turned to complete darkness. We stood in an endless void, no sound, no light, just him staring through me with his piercing violet eyes.

"I will grant you your wish child," his voiced echoed all around me. "But know that whatever happens from here on out is your fault."

"What do you mean?" I managed to whisper.

He did not answer but instead began to chant in an eerie language I did not recognize. With every rhythmic beat of his voice, I could feel energy shake and reverberate through me like my very life force was dancing. The chanting doubled pace and intensity at the same time that a bright beam of white light appeared beneath me. Against my will, I could feel myself being pulled towards it faster and faster. I looked at the man for help but he just stared unseeingly into the void and continued to work his magic. It wasn't long until I was completely sucked out of the void and into the blinding light that surrounded and filled me with a heat so intense I knew that I would surely be burnt alive.

Just as I knew I could endure no more of the torment, I found myself suddenly deposited on the side of a busy street. Lying on the ground, my vision swam with the blur of lights and cars as they passed by so fast that it made me nauseous. I lifted one hand to my pounding head and attempted to stand so that I might orient myself and take in my new surroundings. 5 minutes later, I was still attempting to assure myself that what I was seeing was real and not just a dream or a hallucination. From what I could tell, it was late in the night though it was hard to be sure with the many street lights and the bustle of people on in the streets. The area was completely unrecognizable but the humid temperature told me that I was nowhere near my Illinois home. I looked down the store lined streets for some other indication of my location but to no avail. Scared and frustrated I began to walk in no particular direction knowing that doing so could either be a very bad idea or a very good one. _Better than just standing on the side of the street like some late-night hooker. _True.

Once I had made it further down the road, I could hear the distant, yet comforting, thump of dance music and laughter; causing me to quicken my pace to a near jog. The louder the music became, the faster my heart began to race; though I wasn't sure why. It was like I was anticipating something once I found the source of the music. But what exactly?

I didn't have to wait long to find out because as I turned the next corner, I came face to face with a place; so intensely familiar but incredibly unreal. Or so I had thought. The bright lights of the club were glowing and casting the street and myself in an eerie blue glow. Above the entrance a sign hung with an insignia that I both recognized and adored. Sanctuary. I had to catch myself and fight the urge to hyperventilate or just pass out all together. Could this really be the club that I thought it was? I mean the only proof is a sign; could it really be the same place I had read about for years?

Desperately needing more proof, I strolled up to the entrance of the bar to find what I knew would be the one indisputable piece of evidence to the legitimacy of this place. Sure enough, underneath the entrance sign stood a man more heavily muscled, blond, and gorgeous than I had ever seen. His demeanor was one of a lethal animal even as he leaned leisurely against the building; his dark sunglasses furthering his dangerous appearance. _Dev Peltier!_ I knew instantly who he was and the implications of his presence here 10 ft away from me. I was in the Dark-Hunter world, really, completely, actually IN it. Jumping in the air and screaming my excitement was my first reaction but I decided against looking like a complete lunatic already when I had only existed here for 10 minutes. Instead, I took a deep breath and stepped forward towards the sanctuary entrance. My steps feel heavily onto the concrete of the sidewalk and I tried to force myself to breathe evenly as I stopped just in front of the door where Dev stood.

"Hello," I chirped, a little too friendly I decided because he eyed me suspiciously over his sunglasses.

"Can I help you?" He asked, standing up to his full height. I couldn't help but be entranced by the way his muscles rippled underneath his black shirt with every movement he made.

"Just going inside, you know to dance and stuff." I said lamely. Why could everyone else in this world be so smooth and witty but I still sounded like a dork?

"Hmm... I see." But he continued to eye me like he wasn't entirely sure that was my motivation. "What are you?"

I started at his question, "What do you mean?" I asked genuinely confused.

He sniffed the air around me as if trying to figure out my scent, or at least I hoped that was the reason and not because I smelled.

"Never mind," Dev said finally, "Go on inside."

I smiled pleasantly at him and did as he said, stopping short inside the entrance.

Sanctuary was even more amazing than I had ever imagined. The air was hot and the lights lows, but the atmosphere was electric. People stood along the wall, at the bar, and on the dance floor having fun and enjoying their evening. It surprised me how easily I could pick out the characters from the rest of the people there. Aimee rushed around, busing tables while Alain stood a few tables over, watching a group of college kids who were getting a little too rowdy. Etienne was scolding Cody and Kyle who were laughing at Fang's reaction to a frat boy trying to flirt with Aimee. I noticed other Weres in the bar as well. Fury, for example, sat at the bar swirling a drink absentmindedly in his hand before chugging its contents and heading in the direction of the bathrooms. Was this all real? Could I really be here in the world I had always dreamed of, surrounded by the characters I knew and loved so well? Maybe it was a dream. I could still be in my bed in Illinois, blissfully sleeping the day away. Or maybe I finally lost my mind and this was all some kind of depression induced hallucination. As logical as both of these possibilities sounded, inside I knew the truth. This was REAL. 100% pure-homegrown-organic reality. And I couldn't be happier.

Moving away from the door, I found myself drifting towards the dance floor in a trance like daze. The music reverberated around me with a primal rhythm I couldn't help but feel with every part of me. My body, my soul, my very life force moved to the beat and I soon lost myself in both the mass of bodies and the music of the club.

_This is how I show my love  
>I made it in my mind because<br>I blame it on my A.D.D. baby_

The people blurred by me, faceless and shapeless as I spun and moved in ways I didn't even know I could. All the frustration, the pain, the loneliness was flowing out of me and in its place was a sense of freedom and bliss the likes of which I had never known. I danced like I had never danced before, completely uninhibited by anyone or anything and without a care in the world.

_Maybe I'm a different breed  
>Maybe I'm not listening<br>So blame it on my A.D.D. baby_

Starting to become dizzy, I slowed down my movements and tried to focus on something other than the spinning of my head. Unconsciously, my eyes scanned the tables bordering the dance floor to my right so that I could observe the people gathered there. At a large table, a group of sorority girls sat with their boyfriends giggling and sipping the fruitiest drinks Sanctuary had to offer. Just to the right of them, three men dressed in full biker attire argued loudly while slamming their beer bottles against the table and covering themselves in the fizzy contents. I couldn't help but smile a little at the inhabitants of the bar all enjoying themselves in their own unique way; it seemed that this bar brought some kind of enjoyment to everyone inside. Or almost everyone. In the darkest corner of the club sat a man, solitary and silent. His features were nearly impossible to see through the darkness that shrouded the spot in which he sat but I could sense his weariness and desolation as if it were my own; it pierced me through and kept my attention focused on his shadow. Who was this man?

I didn't have to wait long for my answer as I watched him rise to his feet and step directly into the low lights that hung from the bar to his left. Tall and gorgeous, he stood with a posture I could only describe as fuck-with-me-and-I'll-kill-you-before-you-can-say-mercy. His dark brown hair hung a little past his shoulders and fell partially cover obsidian eyes set into a tan face that could only have been sculpted by an angel. Or more likely a succubus for every plane screamed sensuality and sin; from the hard set of his jaw, to his full lips, to his sculpted cheek bones flawed only by a double bow and arrow brand on his cheek.

Nick Gautier was more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. Despite the awe that his beauty held me in, I also felt a pang of sadness. The mark on his cheek meant that his mother had already died and he was already on his descent to darkness. The despairing shadow that hung around him now made sense as his presence at Sanctuary would surely invoke nothing but memories of another time when his mother was still alive and he was nothing more than human.

_Nick. _I mentally called out, wishing that I could somehow connect with him.

To my utter surprise his eyes flashed up to meet mine and we locked in a gaze that I couldn't have broken to save my life. He moved towards me slowly with the gait of a predator closing in on its prey but I wasn't frightened. In fact, my breath hitched in anticipation as I continued to move to the music's beat and hold his eyes with my own.

_La la la la la, La la la la oh!_

_Sail!_

The heat of the club intensified the heat of my body and I felt myself growing even hotter with every step he took closer to me, staring into my soul with those black eyes.

_Sail!_

Why was I so drawn to him and no one else? Why was I captured so easily by him like a butterfly caught helpless in a net? He had almost crossed the length of the club and I couldn't help but anticipate him drawing even closer. We were magnets, polar opposites being drawn by the forces of the universe towards each other. It was an incredible feeling.

_Sail with me into the dark  
>Sail!<br>Sail with me into the dark  
>Sail!<em>

Just as he was only a mere 10ft away, a fight broke out at a nearby table and all attention was drawn to the brawling college kids that Alain had been eyeing earlier. Between Alain and Etienne it wasn't much to break them up and get them headed out the door but within that time span, the crowd had moved between us and I could no longer see him. I sighed in exasperation, attempting to peak over the heads of the onlookers but with no luck.

Beside me two black haired men scoffed loudly at the spectacle.

"Can you believe that?" the one closest to me asked. I turned and realized he was addressing me.

"Believe what?" I asked.

He pushed his dark hair out of his eyes in a way that I was sure he meant to look alluring. "The fight. All these college kids come here to get drunk and show off. This place is so lame."

"Yeah," was my only response, confused as to why someone like him was talking to me. He was gorgeous truth be told and me… well I didn't have to look to know that I was no comparison to the beauties in the bar.

"We're going to get out of here and go to a real party," the other one joined in, smirking down at me. "You wanna come?"

Immediately a red flag went up in my mind. Total strangers+alcohol+locations unknown= disaster. As flattering as the offer had seemed, I wasn't stupid enough to get pulled into that trap so easily.

"Nah, I think I'm going to call it a night here soon. Thanks for the offer though." Before they could get in another word, I pushed my way through the crowd towards the rest rooms, hoping they wouldn't follow me. On my way I tried to look for any sign of Nick but it seemed that he had vanished completely. This day was definitely shaping up to be the strangest yet.

Once in the bathroom, I went straight to the sink to splash my sweaty face with the cool water to clear my skin and my thoughts. Where could he have gone? I couldn't help but think about the way his dark eyes had cut through me as he neared the dance floor. A shudder racked my body at the thought and I shook my head to dispel it. I was acting like an over obsessed fan girl and I needed to get it together. This was no longer a fantasy world, this was reality and in reality obsessed fan girl translates to creepy stalker. I reached for the paper towels in the dispenser to my left and dried my face before looking up into the wall length mirror in front of me. At first, what I saw there didn't register… a beautiful stranger looking back at me, until I blinked twice and watched her copy. Bringing my hand up to lips I gasped out loud, resisting the urge to faint.

In the mirror I stood but It wasn't me. I mean technically it was but I looked completely different. The extra fat I had carried my whole life had melted away into the healthy and curvaceous form of a full figured model. I lifted the hem of an unfamiliar black shirt to reveal a tan stomach, flat and toned that lead to a sexy waist and long sensual legs. Hands shaking I lowered my shirt and ran my hand up the rest of my body. Toned abs, full size D chest, and then I got to my face. I could see myself in my features, the oval eyes with their dark brown color and the same high cheek bones only now they were thinner and more defined. My lips were full and pink like the petals of a blossom and I ran my fingers lightly over them, marveling at their softness. What was the most shocking about my appearance though, was my hair. Falling in great waves from the top of my head to the middle of my back was a thick mane of pure white hair. I fingered the silky softness and marveled at it. I had always wanted white hair but had feared that it would make me look like an old lady if ever I was to be brave enough to bleach it. Looking at myself now, I knew that that wasn't the case. The hair made me look exotic, like a mythical creature, and it set off my tan olive skin to perfection. Tears seeped at the corners of my eyes as I realized that the mysterious man had made my dreams come true in more ways than one. He had also made me beautiful, the kind of beautiful I had always longed to be. I wasn't shallow by any means and I still valued inner beauty more than physical appearances but I was tired of being bullied for my appearance. Now, I wouldn't have to worry about that ever again.

But I couldn't dwell on that now, I had to find Nick. Why, I wasn't sure. All I had to go on was the feeling in my gut telling me that something dreadful was coming and that he would be my only life line in the coming storm.


	4. Chapter 3: Balance

I stepped out of the bathroom back into the humid atmosphere of the club. Everyone had gone back to dancing or talking, completely unfazed by the fight that had taken place moments ago. I scanned the room once more for any sign of the man I was looking for but found that he was nowhere to be seen. _Just my luck. _

With no other thought but to find him, I made my way to the same door I had entered earlier that night and pushed my way out side into the warm night air. Standing once again beside the bustling street, I looked from left to right trying to figure out which way he was most likely patrolling for the night. Down the right side of the street there were fewer street lights and the inhabitants stumbled in a drunken daze into alleyways without a second thought. I figured if there were any Daimons out prowling the night, this side of town would be the easiest place to find unsuspecting prey and therefore the most likely place for Nick to be patrolling for them.

Admittedly, it wasn't the smartest idea to be wandering around a big town such as this when I knew for a fact that soul-sucking monsters were roaming the streets looking for people like me to have for dinner, but I was desperate for answers. When the man had sent me here, he had given me no direction to go in, no money, no place to stay, and no idea as to what I was supposed to do. I had arrived at Sanctuary only because I had followed an inner pull that I had felt towards it. Now I was following that same inner pull I had felt to Nick, hoping that it would lead me down the path that I was meant to follow.

As I got further down the street though, I was beginning to question my decision. Nick was nowhere in sight, which I hadn't really expected him to be but it would have been reassuring none the less, and the number of people on the streets had begun to thin dramatically until there were only a few people to cross my path within 5 minutes. An eerie feeling began to settle within me like I was being watched and I had to turn around several times to make sure that there was no one behind me. What would I do if I was to be attacked? Admittedly, I had little to no experience when it came to fighting other than the few self defense classes I had taken last year. But what good would those techniques be against supernatural beings? Probably not very effective.

I was nearing a particularly dark stretch of the street when I heard the sound of footsteps to my right, from out of the alley way. I was surprised to see the two guys from Sanctuary who had tried to get me to leave with them. At the sight of the two of them and the realization that I was completely out of ear shot to any passerby, a shiver went down my spine. I attempted to ignore their presence in the hope that if I didn't make any contact they might leave me alone. That notion was quickly forgotten however when the tallest of the two stepped directly in my path.

"Hey, remember us?" he asked with a sinister smile plastered to his face.

I glanced up but refused to make any eye contact. "Yeah I do, and sorry but I'm still not interested in the party." I tried to sidestep him but he just moved to block my path once more. I could hear the dark chuckle from the other man as he moved closer to stand behind me. I was completely boxed in.

"This is the party honey. And you're the guest of honor," he sneered wide enough for me to glimpse a threatening set of fangs. It was then that I realized how stupid I had been. Of course they were daimons, I should have known by how tall and handsome they were; and, if anything else, the bad black dye job should have been a dead giveaway. Now it was too late and I was trapped completely at their mercy. _Well that lasted long. Two whole hours living your dream and what will you have to show for it? A bloody death and a rather stupid one at that. How many dark-hunter novels have you read and you still couldn't follow the basic rule for non-immortals: Don't wander the dark streets at night unattended. You deserved to be eaten you ninny. _

It was true, I knew better but I had not been thinking rationally. I had just wanted to see Nick again no matter what the cost but now I realized that that blind stupidity would cost me my life. In one last vain attempt to survive, I moved forward to slam my knee into the groin of the tallest Daimon before swinging my fist around to collide with the cheek of the other. When I had stunned them both, I made a run for it back towards Sanctuary. I knew that the odds of me getting away were slim but that didn't stop me from running with everything I had. Barely had I reached the end of the block before I felt an arm curl around my waist from behind and grab me up off the ground a moment before a fist collided with my stomach, knocking the wind from me. I wheezed as I tried to gather air into my burning lungs and fight my assailant.

"Thought you'd get away, did you bitch?" I received another fist to the jaw this time.

"Little do you know, we aren't your average every day punks. We're straight from your worst nightmares."

I fought with all I had as I could feel the breath of the daimon holding me graze my neck. His hold tightened around me to still my struggles a moment before his fang dug into my skin, sending blooding rushing down my neck.

"Now, now, what do we have here? Two little Daimons come out to play?"

In an instant, I was dropped to my feet on the warm asphalt unceremoniously, causing me to once again have the wind knocked out of me. As I struggled once again to maintain lung functions, I sat up to see what had caused the two Daimons at my sides to hiss and crouch into defensive stances.

"Stupid Dark-Hunter, you're outnumbered. How about you just leave us to our prey and we'll leave you with your head attached to your shoulders."

Nick stepped out of the shadows twirling a dagger in his hands with expert skill. "You are obviously new around here ink spot; and as resident bad ass, it's my duty to inform you of the chain of command: I kill you and you shut up and die."

With that he threw the dagger straight into the tall daimons heart, turning him to a pile of dust at my feet. The other snarled in rage before he ran head long into Nick's chest, knocking them both to the ground. I had to admit, it wasn't much of a fair fight. Within minutes, the second Daimon was pinned to the ground and within seconds after that he was no more. Nick stood dusting the Daimon's remains from his black shirt with a look of supreme disgust on his face.

I could do nothing but sit in stunned silence and reverence at his skill and beauty. It still astonished me how gorgeous he was in real life and how intimidating. He looked down at me and I couldn't help but flinch at the devilish gleam in his dark eyes that showed only a hint of the evil I knew was eating away at him inside. Determined to meet him eye to eye despite how small and weak I felt, I stood on shaky legs trying to figure out what I should say settling finally for a whispered "Thank you." My voice came out more timid than I had meant it to but I decided it was a wondered I had gotten that much out when I could hardly breathe past the knot in my throat.

He did not acknowledge my thanks but instead moved forward to stand right in front of me and rake a glance over my body. The proximity of his body caused my breath to hitch and my heart to pound in my chest. When had I gotten so short? I felt like a dwarf compared to his towering height which only served to add to his menacing appearance. All I could do was stare up into obsidian eyes that were as unreadable as the expression he wore. An eternity seemed to pass before he finally spoke.

"What are you?" his voice rumbled and seemed to wrap around me in a vice like grip.

I frowned at the words that Dev had spoken to me earlier that evening. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play stupid. You're obviously not a Daimon, so what are you? Demon?"

Realization hit me as I finally understood what he was getting at. "Oh... I'm human," I said lamely.

He pulled another dagger out from under his coat and I couldn't help but take a few steps back. Well more than a few, more like 10 but still.

"You're not a very good liar. I could sense your powers from the moment you walked into Sanctuary. So you better tell me what you really are and what your purpose is here," he fingered the end of the knife in his hand like a threat. "Or you might end up like your friends."

"I promise you, I have no idea what you're talking about," I didn't understand what powers he could be referring to or why he saw me as a threat at all but I did know that I was no match for him should he choose not to believe me and attack. I was utterly screwed.

"Nick, stop. She's telling the truth."

We both started at the deep voice that came from the alley behind Nick. I peered around him to see Acheron step from the shadows as if he had been there the whole time.

"Fuck you Atlantean," Nick snarled. "No one asked for your presence here."

Acheron sighed and stood to stand between us. "Can we please just act civil for five minutes?"

Nick scoffed but put away his dagger, "Hell no."

"Didn't think so but a man can dream."

Nick didn't seem amused but instead shot me another blistering glare. "So what do you know about her that you're not telling me oh great smart ass?"

"Not as much as I would like, but I do know that she is telling the truth. She was brought here from another world with no more knowledge of her purpose than we have."

I scowled at Acheron's back in surprise. How could he know that? Oh yeah, freaky mind reader powers.

"Another world?" Nick asked as confused as I was, "How is that even possible?"

"A powerful being must have brought her here."

"But who and for what purpose?"

"That's what we don't know. But whatever the reason, it can't be good. You could sense it earlier tonight couldn't you?"

Nick nodded in agreement, "The shift in the balance. For a moment it was like the scales had completely tipped but then it evened out almost immediately afterwards," he glanced again in my direction. "You think it has to do with her?"

Acheron nodded, "I'm certain of it. As soon as she arrived, her presence here was enough to completely tip the scales and send the balance into disarray."

I was beginning to get annoyed at the fact that I was obviously being left out of a conversation I had every right to be a part of.

"Uh, hello, Destroyer of All Balances, nice to meet you. Yes, I am still present and conscious. If I could have a brief moment of your time that would be greatly appreciated," My voice dripped sarcasm.

Nick remained stoic at my outburst but Acheron turned to look at me with an amused smile and one eye brow arched over his dark sunglasses.

"Would you mind explaining all this to me? In case you've forgotten, I am just as lost as you are except that I lack the omniscience that you obviously posses. What direction did the scales tip exactly?"

Acheron laughed although I failed to see any humor in the situation.

"'Tip' is an understatement. Plummet is more accurate and to answer your question let's just say that it wasn't in a direction that would have benefitted humanity anytime soon."

I was surprised by his answer. Why would it have tipped in the way of evil?

"I don't understand," I shook my head in an attempt to better grasp what he was saying, "Why would that happen?"

Nick was the one to answer me this time. "You may not know it, but you have some seriously malevolent power surrounding you. That's why I was drawn to you at Sanctuary; it's bound but still potent enough to be sensed by someone like me. I'll bet that's why those Daimons were so hell bent on stalking you as well. I've never sensed anything like it," he looked at me this time with a new found admiration.

"Is that why you threatened me?" I asked, hoping that it was for some justifiable reason and not because he was already so gone that he took pleasure from killing whoever he could.

To my relief he nodded. "I didn't think that anyone with that kind of power could be up to anything good."

_Fair enough. _But I still couldn't wrap my mind around what they were trying to tell me. First I was transported to this world by some mysterious super being, transformed into a drop dead gorgeous babe, and now I possessed some seriously bad mojo the likes of which completely unbalanced the cosmos…. That was a lot to process.

I felt myself sway a moment before Nick caught me against him. The scent of him and the warmth of his hard body against my own did nothing to help the spinning of my head though.

"Are you alright?" To his credit, he managed to sound genuinely concerned when he had been all too ready to slice my throat minutes ago.

"Yeah," I tried to use him as support while I steadied myself. "It's just…a lot to take in."

"We all know how that is," Acheron said in sympathy before reaching forward to offer a bottle of water he had conjured. I took it gratefully and opened it up to chug the cool liquid down my dry throat.

"So, do you have any idea what she is? Like I said, I've never felt anything like her powers before," Nick said with a note of awe in his voice.

Acheron ran a hand through his ear length hair. I had forgotten about him shaving it off to donate to locks of love and had been expecting the ridiculously long hair he usually wore.

"I've felt something similar but only in one other person," he confided.

"Who?" Nick scowled.

"You."

That answer succeeded in shocking us both into silence. How could that be?

I was the first to find my voice again, "But that's not possible is it? There is only one Malachai in existence at a time."

It wasn't until I noticed the incredulous looks on both of their faces that I realized my slip up.

"How do you know that?"

I chewed my lower lip trying to find the best way to explain to them without freaking them out.

"Come to think of it," Nick went on, "You are taking all of this talk extremely well considering you are completely oblivious to what's going on."

"She's not oblivious," Acheron stated before Nick cut him off.

"Thanks for that, Captain Obvious."

Acheron ignored his sarcasm and went on to explain what I could not. "In her world, things are completely different. In that alternate universe, our world exists but not how it does here instead it's a book series."

Nick shook his head in denial. "You mean to tell me that somewhere our lives are nothing more than some shitty supernatural novels?"

"Hey!" I inserted indignantly, placing my hand on my hip "They are not shitty! They happen to be some of the best supernatural romance novels ever written, thank you very much!"

I could almost laugh at the look of incredulity on Nick's face as his eyes widened in disbelief. "Supernatural Romance? There's no way that this world could be construed as romantic." He crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head like a child refusing to eat his vegetables. "No, I refuse. I will not be a part of some harlequin dime novel with cheesy dialogue and one dimensional characters."

"You don't understand," I tried to make him understand what the books were really about, "they aren't like that at all. They cover all facets of this world, the good and the bad. It's not all fluff and romance its bitter anger and pain, it's the best and the worst of life. Believe me, it's not sugar coated and wrapped in a pretty bow, it's honest and genuine to the point that you can lose yourself to it and find yourself relating to the characters on an incredible level." That's what I loved most about the books, they weren't full of characters that were so perfect that they seemed unreal; they were full of real people who were as flawed and imperfect as you.

"I still don't like the idea of my life being printed and sold as a form of entertainment," Nick growled, not that I could blame him. Now that I knew he existed as a real person, I didn't much care for the idea either.

"It's not ideal but we cannot control how our world is distorted in another realm," Acheron interrupted, "All we can do is influence the world we are a part of and right now we have a big problem on our hands."

Nick nodded but continued to scowl as if he were lost in thought.

"For the moment, no one but us knows that she is here in New Orleans but we would be stupid not to assume that there are others who felt her presence when she first arrived. Others who will be out to get their hands on her at all costs; namely Noir and Azura."

"My two favorite people," Nick's voice dripped sarcasm.

"They would kill to get their hands on either one of you, so the question is how are we going to hide her until we can find out her purpose here?"

"Damn good question," Nick retorted with a snort of laughter, "Her powers are like a blazing bat signal screaming 'Here I am! Come and get me!' It would take some major mojo to disguise her."

Acheron looked at him meaningfully before Nick finally interpreted his gaze and immediately shook his head vigorously.

"Ohhhh no. You are not going to put me in the middle of this. Noir is already gunning for me the way it is, there is no way that I can watch both my back and hers with our combined powers we would be a neon sign for all of Azmodea to see."

"It's because your powers are so similar that it would be the perfect place to hide her. Your powers are already shielded here and that shield would work the same way for her. Besides no one would be able to sense a change in power since you are already here."

Nick still shook his head in denial. "Acheron, this is crazy, there is no way that she is any safer with me than she would be with someone else."

His blatant rejection and need to be rid of me stung but I couldn't blame him. Who would want to be saddled with me when all I would do is attract the very things he was hiding from?

"I know why you don't want to hide her, Nick, but you're not going to hur-"

"Don't you ever fucking presume to know what I think, Atlantean. You don't know a damn thing about me."

Acheron flinched at the venom in his voice and his blatant hatred. "We were friends once Nick, I know you better than you care to admit."

Nick took a swipe at Acheron's jaw so quick that I was surprised he was able to dodge before it collided with his jaw.

"That was a long time ago, and you succeeded in thoroughly killing that friendship."

Acheron made no move to deny Nick's words but instead stood with a look of supreme sorrow and regret etched into his features.

"I know and there is not a day that passes that I don't regret what I've done. But this is not about us; this is about an innocent girl who needs protection that only we can offer her."

This succeeded in slightly calming the fire that raged in Nick's eyes as he took a deep breath and turned to look to where I had been silently watching their exchange.

"Do you have any input on the situation?"

I laughed nervously before shrugging with a nonchalance I didn't feel.

"I'm up for anything, as long as it doesn't involve torture or certain death."

My playful banter actually succeeded in smoothing the frown from Nick's face and bringing forth an amused smile to his sinful lips.

"Then you've come to the wrong world honey."

He turned to Acheron with an acidic glare and a gleam of anger back in his eyes. It was amazing how he could turn so menacing so quickly.

"Alright, I'll hide her. But I'm not doing this because you want me to, I'm doing it because I know what it's like to be hunted for something you can't help or change."

Acheron nodded and stepped around Nick to look at me over the top of his sunglasses. The swirling silver of his eyes pierced through me and glued me to where I stood.

"I'll go see Savitar and try to figure out what's going on here. If anyone will know, it will be him. In the mean time just keep a low profile and try not to throw yourself to any blood thirsty demons and you should be fine."

"Thanks, I'll try my best," I said with as much sarcasm as I could muster.

With that Acheron began to disappear but not before another thought hit me.

"Wait!"

He rematerialized back in front of Nick, "What is it?"

"You said that when I got here, the balance was tipped but soon after, it was set even again. Why is that?"

Acheron paused a moment before answering as if the words he spoke were a heavy burden he was reluctant to throw on us.

"I'm not for sure but I am guessing that it works a lot like it does with the Malachai and the Sephiroth. Both must exist to counteract each other's powers. So if you were brought here with innately malevolent power, then-"

"Someone else had to also have been brought here from the other end of the spectrum," I finished for him.

"Exactly. But for what purpose, I have no idea. All I know is that for now I have a grumpy wife to calm, a fussy toddler to console, and an ill-tempered chthonian to confront….and the night is still young." With that he disappeared from the street leaving Nick and I standing in the dim light of the street lamp.

He turned to face me and for a moment I saw a glimpse of the weariness he held under his mask of stoicism. It made me ache to comfort him despite the fearsome side that I knew he possessed. But I knew that my touch wouldn't be welcome. He didn't know me; we were strangers stuck together by fate and the will of an Atlantean. Nothing more.


End file.
